Serbia charged 12 people accused of setting fire to the U.S. Embassy during riots against Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008.

Vladimir Djordjevic, a senior official at the prosecutor's office, said that the suspects were charged with committing "grave acts against general security" and violent behavior.

Djordjevic said the suspects face up to 12 years in prison each if convicted.

Hundreds of extremists stormed the embassy on February 21, 2008, angry over Washington's support for the independence of Kosovo -- a predominantly ethnic Albanian former province that most Serbs view as a national heartland.

The attackers, mostly soccer hooligans, threw stones and flares at the embassy building, breaking the windows and setting it on fire.

The extremists also attacked other Western embassies in the Serbian capital.